At this point, he raised his head and looked at the third Hokage: "This report was written two months ago, and even now, the Village Hidden in the Sand is still being evasive, saying the third Kazekage is only in seclusion. The major ninja villages and nations are still guessing and do not dare to confirm whether he is merely missing or dead. This child was two months ahead of all professional intelligence personnel. However…"
Homura Mitokado paused, then continued: "This child even directly stated that the one who killed the third Kazekage was Sasori, that—"
"Even if it isn't, it might as well be!"
Koharu Utatane snorted coldly and took over: "Over the past year, the third Kazekage frequently brought that person to various occasions, and later even arranged for him to become part of his personal guard. As this child put it, the third Kazekage didn't encounter trouble earlier or later, but just happened to have an incident after Sasori became part of his guard. Moreover, in these past months, this genius puppet master famous in the Village Hidden in the Sand has seemingly vanished. That alone makes him the prime suspect."
"Just in time, after the war starts, the Village Hidden in the Sand will definitely pin the blame for the third Kazekage's misfortune on our Konoha. We can reverse it and pin the blame back, saying it was their own genius ninja, Sasori, who assassinated the third Kazekage. Hm… we can say he was instructed by Chiyo and Ebizo, and it's an internal power struggle, to let the Village Hidden in the Sand fall into chaos first."
Homura Mitokado nodded: "I think it's feasible."
The conference room fell silent for a few seconds.
Their gazes then fell on the third document.
"On the inevitability and time window analysis of the Village Hidden in the Sand launching war against Konoha."
Koharu Utatane picked up the document, her brows slightly furrowed.
"From this analysis, the Village Hidden in the Sand launching a war against Konoha is indeed inevitable. This child has dissected the Village Hidden in the Sand's practical needs and behavioral logic too clearly, so clearly that if they don't fight, it would feel strange instead."
She paused and turned a page.
"Village Hidden in the Cloud, following soon after, is also highly possible! That third Raikage has never missed an opportunity to take advantage of chaos. The Village Hidden in the Stones will likely observe at first, waiting for the right moment, while Village Hidden in the Mist may initially restrain and harass our coastline without launching large-scale landings… these deductions all make sense."
She raised her head and looked at the third Hokage, her tone somewhat hesitant: "But being surrounded and attacked by three or even four sides… Hiruzen, in your view, will this war truly be this dangerous for our Konoha?"
She did not finish her sentence, but the meaning was already clear.
In the first Shinobi World War, Konoha's main opponent was the Village Hidden in the Cloud.
In the second Shinobi World War, it was a chaotic four-way battle among Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Sand, the Village Hidden in the Rain, and the Village Hidden in the Stones, each restraining the others.
Although Konoha faced great pressure, it had never simultaneously faced direct, fierce attacks from two major ninja villages from two directions.
But what this report described was facing both the Village Hidden in the Sand and the Village Hidden in the Cloud at the very start, while the Village Hidden in the Stones and the Village Hidden in the Mist lurked nearby, ready to pounce depending on the situation.
This was no longer just a matter of heavy pressure; it might even lead to the destruction of the nation and village.
Homura Mitokado removed his glasses and slowly wiped the lenses with a cloth.
"Logically speaking, this child's deductions are correct."
He put his glasses back on and looked at the third Hokage: "Hiruzen, what do you think?"
The third Hokage was silent for a moment. "I am inclined to believe this child's deductions are true, because his reasoning is not based on what we want to see, but on what the enemy must do."
Koharu Utatane took a deep breath.
"So… are you saying everything this child wrote will come true?"
The third Hokage did not answer directly.
He simply looked out the window, his gaze passing over Konoha's peaceful streets, over the people who still did not know that war was approaching, and settling on the distant horizon.
Homura Mitokado spoke again: "Then, Hiruzen, what should we do? How should we use this report? Should it only remain for high-level internal reference? Should we give it to the advisory staff…"
"My opinion is to continue distributing it downward."
A voice suddenly sounded, interrupting Homura Mitokado.
All three turned toward the source of the voice.
Danzo Shimura.
He sat there, his expression unchanged, still carrying that gloomy aura that kept strangers away.
But what he said left the other three stunned.
Koharu Utatane blinked, thinking she had misheard: "Danzo, what did you say?"
"I said this report should be distributed downward."
Danzo repeated, his tone calm, as if stating an ordinary fact.
"Not just to the advisory staff, but to all Chunin, Special Jonin, and Jonin, let them all take a good look."
Stunned, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane exchanged glances, both seeing astonishment in each other's eyes. Even the third Hokage was somewhat surprised.
Koharu Utatane reacted first, frowning slightly: "Danzo, directly distributing it like this isn't very appropriate, is it? What if it leaks out and alerts other ninja villages…"
"Alerts them?"
Danzo snorted coldly, cutting her off. "Who doesn't already know that a war is coming? Everyone is suspicious of each other, waiting to see who makes the first move. This is just a strategic analysis report. Every ninja village produces several of these every day. That brute from the Village Hidden in the Cloud has given how many public speeches this year? This document isn't some secret military deployment or specific operational directive. What is there to hide?"
"So what if they know? Do they not already know that Konoha is guarding against them? We're just stating it more clearly."
Ignoring their expressions, Danzo continued speaking, his tone still calm, without much emotion: "So my suggestion is to distribute it directly. Let them know war is coming. Let them know what scale this war will be, from which directions attacks will come, and how long it may last. Let them also see for themselves that after living for decades and carrying out so many missions, their understanding of this war is not even as clear as that of a ten-year-old child."
"Let them think about what they've been doing all these years, what they've been thinking, whether they've truly used their brains."
The conference room fell silent for a few seconds.
The astonishment on Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado's faces had not yet faded as they looked at Danzo as if he were a stranger.
You weren't like this yesterday.
This thought surfaced in Koharu Utatane's mind. Yesterday, when they first received the report, Danzo belittled Shinichi's documents as worthless, calling him attention-seeking and alarmist, and even saying, "What can a child understand?"
It had only been one night; how had his attitude changed so much?